RUSSIA — Boone Jenner could not convince the International Ice Hockey Federation that his hit on Sweden’s Jesper Pettersson was not a suspendible offence, but he did get a reprieve from Team Canada.

Rather than parachute another forward into the lineup, Jenner will remain on Canada’s roster for the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships which gets underway against Germany on Boxing Day.

The IIHF handed Jenner a three-game suspension for his check in a pre-tournament game last week, knocking him out of the lineup for the opener, as well as preliminary round games against Slovakia on Friday and the United States on Sunday. He is eligible to return for the New Year’s Eve showdown with Russia.

Pettersson was left with a dislocated shoulder and a broken wrist from the blow.

“I think I kept it clean. I wasn’t going out of my way to make a check. I was just trying to finish – not jump or get my arms up,” said Jenner, who did speak at his hearing.

The IIHF later ruled that what they saw on the video, “indicated that the hit was late and delivered with no intention to play the puck and with Pettersson in a vulnerable position. It was Jenner’s intention to deliver the forceful check in spite of having the opportunity to at least make an attempt to avoid contact on Pettersson.

“The hit was delivered far too late. This later resulted in an injury to Sweden’s Pettersson and for this Jenner is to be held accountable.”

Head coach Steve Spott said they would respect the decision, turn the page and move on.

“It’s really tough. I really want to play in this tournament and be out there with my teammates,” continued Jenner. “Watching is not what I want to be doing but there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Jenner was also suspended for the bronze medal game in last year’s tournament for spearing Yevgeni Kuznetsoz in a semifinal game against Russia, but the Columbus Blue Jackets 2011 draft pick said it was just coincidence that for two years in a row, his time in the world juniors has been limited.

“There’s nothing I can do. The ruling was made and it was three games . . . so I just have to be ready for the fourth,” Jenner said after the team’s practice at Ufa Arena.

As Canada’s best faceoff man and a regular penalty killer, Jenner will leave a hole. Mark McNeill, who was not on the roster following the selection camp, will now play centre on the third line. He’ll be flanked J.C. Lipon and Phillip Denault.

Ty Rattie, Nathan MacKinnon and Anthony Camara will play on the fourth.

“(Jenner’s) definitely a big loss for us for the hockey club,” said Spott. “(But) we had a plan going in based on the (number of games) and if it was one, two or three, he would stay and be a part of our club against the Russians.”

McNeill had joined the team in Finland to replace Charles Hudon (back injury).

Spott may have to make yet another lineup change as Jonathan Drouin sustained a mild charley horse at practice. Hockey Canada, which had to submit its 23-man roster on Tuesday, instead named 22 players in the event they have to bring in a replacement. Teams have until two hours before game time to register a player. If Drouin is given the go-ahead by the medical staff, he will be added then.

Subban gets start

Hockey Canada announced on the eve of the opener that Malcom Subban will get the start in net. Spott had said after the morning practice that the decision had been made but that he had to meet with Subban, of the Belleville Bulls and Jordan Binnington of the Owen Sound Attack, before he made it public.